Sometimes, Main Street organizations are associated only with events or seen as the “party planners.” Although that’s definitely not all we do, it is a part of what we do; it’s always front and center in the heart of the community. Let’s be honest, events can drag staff and volunteers down, especially if they are not impactful or if you are just doing an event to check a box. If that’s the case, you need to check yourself and reevaluate. No pun intended.
Downtown Wytheville Inc. has been there. In the beginning, Downtown Wytheville held many events, and yes, sometimes they were not impactful and sometimes businesses did not buy in, but every time, we evaluated and tried to understand how we can make it better.
About 10 years ago, we established the Downtown Wytheville 4th of July Celebration & Street Festival in the heart of the community. This was our effort to bring attention to the downtown revitalization that we had envisioned and is a reality today. Little did we know that this event would become what it has: The biggest event in the history of Wytheville, and most recently awarded the 2024 best event in Southwest Virginia.
But let’s talk about how this event has evolved and become the region’s premier July 4 event. When we started, we planned, coordinated, and implemented every facet of this event: bands, beer, games, activities, you name it, we did it. That equaled total burnout. This event honestly became dreadful each year it approached.
What changed? Our approach. We went with a subcommittee approach, rather than the promotions committee taking on everything event-related. We can recruit and retain many more volunteers than the traditional promotions committee and navigate volunteer burnout. Adding a designated outdoor refreshment area (DORA) license was a game-changer for us. Pushing the beer and mixed beverage sales back to the businesses and not taking money away from the district, but rather driving into our breweries and restaurants.
Downtown Wytheville Inc. also asked businesses to have skin in the game and contribute to the event in a way that is impactful and adds to the overall day of activities that we can collectively promote. We are bringing the captive audience; we need businesses to take advantage of that, and they have totally stepped up to do so.
We usually have anywhere from eight to ten bands on the day, and Downtown Wytheville, Inc. only books three of those on the main stage — the businesses book the rest. It’s a change in philosophy and mindset; they have bought into the collective approach to collaboration and contributing rather than relying on the Main Street organization to do it all. That takes time, trust, and a true grassroots effort. We still coordinate logistics on how the day runs, but businesses are bought in and contributing in a way that takes additional pressure off of our staff and volunteers. They are truly doing their part as stakeholders and working hand in hand with Downtown Wytheville Inc. to make this day all that it can be for our community, and all of our events have transitioned to this collaborative approach.
If it weren’t for our small business stepping up and contributing in this way, our events wouldn’t be half of what they are. While events are still hard, they require extensive planning and are exhausting. Their collaborative effort to work alongside us makes all the difference in the world on our burnout meter.
So instead of dreading events, maybe change your mindset and approach to how you engage those who are directly benefiting. So, rather than asking them to donate to the event, maybe try asking them to contribute in a way that showcases their business, which contributes to the overall activities and success of the event.
Virginia Main Street 